European Space Imaging, €20 Million Maritime Contract
- European Space Imaging
European Space Imaging has been awarded its third major contract for the provision of very high resolution optical satellite data to the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA), ranking number one among a strong field of European competitors to provide all data sets and strengthening their position as Europe’s leading provider of very high resolution satellite optical imagery.
EMSA includes optical satellite images as part of its maritime surveillance services to the European Commission and Member States to support a number of functions in the maritime domain, such as safety, security, environmental monitoring, and law enforcement.
The €20 million, four year service level agreement, signed in September 2018, was won by European Space Imaging in cooperation with their partners the German Aerospace Centre (DLR), DigitalGlobe, a Maxar company, ImageSat International and Deimos Imaging.
The tender requirements were very stringent and demanded that suppliers have the capacity to deliver newly acquired images and subsequent value-added services such as vessel detection or oil spill notification in quasi- or near-real-time.
To fulfill EMSA’s imaging requirements, European Space Imaging’s offering draws upon a total of seven very high resolution satellites, including DigitalGlobe’s leading constellation of GeoEye-1, WorldView-1, WorldView-2, WorldView-3 and WorldView-4; Imagesat International’s EROS-B; and Deimos Imaging’s Deimos-2.
“Our efficient operations enable us to support European organisations providing ongoing imagery and services to member states,” said Adrian Zevenbergen, Managing Director of European Space Imaging. “I want to thank our team of professionals and our dedicated partners for their great achievement in offering the most competitive near-real-time image delivery services. We are continually expanding our capacities to ensure we offer the best quality and highest resolution satellite imagery commercially available.”
European Space Imaging is the only satellite imagery provider to offer true 30 cm resolution satellite data in Europe, and has a proven track record offering imagery and value-added services such as vessel and pollution detection to the maritime sector.
“The resolution and rapid revisit available from the latest very high resolution satellites mean that optical satellite imagery is a viable resource for the maritime sector, helping to enhance maritime domain awareness,” said Dr. Melanie Rankl, Maritime Account and Project Manager at European Space Imaging. “A combination of local satellite tasking and post processing carried out by the DLR allows us to provide a unique, near real-time service to EMSA and the European member states it serves.”
Related Stories
GEOSeries: Turning Satellite Data into Actionable Intelligence for Critical Energy Infrastructure
See how satellite imagery can make critical infrastructure monitoring more frequent, targeted and efficient. Monitoring hundreds or thousands of kilometres of pipelines, power lines and other critical infrastructure traditionally requires extensive field inspections, vehicle patrols or aerial surveys. Satellite-based monitoring offers a different approach: regularly analysing large networks, identifying potential risks and directing teams to the locations that require attention.
Gallery: Wildfires Across Europe in August 2026
The first week of August brought heatwaves, droughts, and wildfires. Here are satellite images showing the destruction.
VHR Satellite Images for Wildfire Monitoring
High temperatures are breaking records, vegetation is drying up, and catastrophic wildfires are raging across Europe. Emergency responders are already turning to satellite imagery for fire monitoring and damage analysis – but few know its full potential. Near Real-Time (NRT) capabilities deliver critical images just 15 minutes after collection. Intraday imaging captures a fire as it develops throughout the day. And 8-band multispectral imagery lets responders see through haze, light fog, and other atmospheric conditions – including wildfire smoke itself.
Earth Observation Turns Ecological Targets into Measurable Outcomes: How Satellite Imagery Supports Compliance with Europe’s Nature Restoration Regulation
The EU’s Nature Restoration Regulation (NRR) entered into force in 2024 and set legally binding targets to restore degraded ecosystems across Europe. With National Restoration Plans due in September 2026, Member States face an urgent question: how do you map, plan and monitor restoration across millions of hectares in a consistent, verifiable way? Earth Observation (EO) – and Very High Resolution (VHR) multispectral satellite imagery in particular – is increasingly the answer.
